Mareel has won two prestigious national awards in architecture: a Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) Award and a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award.
The building won an award from the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), announced at the RIAS Awards’ Ceremony in Edinburgh last night (Weds 12 June), and is now shortlisted for the Andrew Doolan Award for the Best Building in Scotland. As well as this, Mareel was one of only five Scottish projects to receive a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) National Award for architectural excellence and is now longlisted for RIBA's top award, the Stirling Prize.
Managed by Shetland Arts Development Agency, the leading arts agency in Shetland, Mareel is the UK’s most northerly music, cinema and creative industries centre.
The building, designed by Gareth Hoskins Architects, is situated in a prominent quayside area in Lerwick, adjacent to the Shetland Museum and Archives and incorporates: a live performance auditorium, two cinema screens, rehearsal rooms, a recording studio, education and training spaces, a digital media production suite, broadcast facilities and a cafe bar with free, high speed wi-fi internet access.
Niall Iain Wright, Associate at Gareth Hoskins Architects, said: "Gareth Hoskins Architects are very proud of Mareel and delighted at receiving both RIBA and RIAS awards. They go some way to rewarding the endeavours of those, from within our office, from PJP Architects in Shetland and from Shetland Arts Development Agency, who put in so much effort to deliver the project. As ever, our greatest satisfaction remains in seeing the building being well used, enjoyed and becoming a vibrant, central part of the Shetland community."
Mareel. Photo by Phatsheep Photography.
Providing a year round programme of film, live music, education and other performance events, Mareel is a hub and a focus for the creative communities not just in Shetland but beyond, and a catalyst for the creative industry sector in Shetland.Iain Connelly, President of the RIAS, said: "The 75 submissions from throughout Scotland, ranging in cost from zero to over £30m is a tremendous vote of confidence. It absolutely confirms that this award, in only its second year, is now the single most important recognition of architectural achievement in Scotland." Of those 75 submissions, 12 buildings, including Mareel, received awards.
RIBA president Angela Brady said: "Risk-taking is not for the faint-hearted in recessionary times, but amongst this year's crop of truly exceptional buildings I am delighted to see such a variety of projects doing just that.”
Shetland Arts’ Marketing Officer, Lisa Ward, said: “Mareel is an exceptional building and we are proud to see it acknowledged by these national institutes for architectural excellence.”
The winner of the Andrew Doolan and Stirling Prizes will be announced later this year.
